Finally. The sense of relief for Wales after qualifying, at last, for their first major women’s tournament is palpable and powerful.
That they have been drawn into the European Championship’s toughest group — with England, the Netherlands and France — will not dampen spirits, nor will the fact they are the lowest-ranked team to have made it to Switzerland this summer (30th in the world, by FIFA’s calculations).
The underdog tag is something this team neither shirk nor embrace. And, while very few expect Wales to get out of the group, or perhaps even win a single point in the process of trying, the lack of pressure is viewed as a privilege in the camp.
Who is the manager?
Rhian Wilkinson, 43, was tasked with what was historically an impossible job, made tougher by the fact she stepped into the role of leading Wales just two months before the Euro 2025 qualifying campaign began.
The former Canada international arrived armed with 181 appearances for her national side and two Olympic bronze medals, but her coaching pedigree was not so well established. In her first head-coach position, in 2021, she guided her former team Portland Thorns to the NWSL Championship title, but departed later that year after an investigation into a relationship with a player. Wilkinson was cleared of any wrongdoing.
That Wilkinson has turned Wales’ women — a team that, much like their men’s side before the magic of Euro 2016 sparked a flurry of tournament appearances, seemed condemned to a life of near-misses (see: World Cup 2019, Euro 2022, World Cup 2023) — into a cohesive and competitive unit in the space of just 10 months has defied most expectations.
Rhian Wilkinson is the first manager to lead Wales Women into a major tournament (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
How do they play?
Under Wilkinson, Wales have become more confident on the ball and prefer to move quickly through the thirds. In their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign, a high press was used regularly and with plenty of success.
That said, Wilkinson has shown there’s a shrewd practicality to her style and against better quality opponents, Wales are happy to soak up pressure, defend resolutely and hit teams on the counter, playing off a high-positioned forward and committing high up the pitch.
Who are their three most influential players?
Mention Wales Women and one name comes to mind: Jess Fishlock. With more than 150 caps and 47 goals (a record for Wales’ senior national teams, women’s and men’s), the 38-year-old has become an extension of her nation. But under Wilkinson and with Fishlock battling recurring injuries, Wales have learnt to look elsewhere for influence. Everton midfielder Hayley Ladd is the brains of the operation now, while Liverpool counterpart Ceri Holland has become a reliable source of goals and energy.
Hayley Ladd spent six years at Manchester United before joining Everton in January (Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
What is their biggest strength?
Wales have done well under Wilkinson to move away from a hardened reputation as being Fishlock’s team and become more of a sum of their parts. But the biggest strength they have this summer? Zero pressure. The Welsh are happy to be here and they are happy to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
If that sounds familiar, it might be worth checking out what happened in France nine years ago with the men’s side…
What weakness might other teams be able to exploit?
While more of a squad than previous years, Wales are still not one of the most blessed nations in terms of strength in depth, so their team is a mixture of elite players and some with less top-level experience.
Another potential weakness? Goalkeeper. Their usual No 1, Olivia Clark, left FC Twente of the Netherlands to join Leicester City in January, but the 23-year-old did not make a single appearance for the Women’s Super League side after that transfer and her rustiness was exposed recently in the Nations League.
Manchester United backup Safia Middleton-Patel has made a case to take over the gloves this summer, but at 20 years old and with just 11 senior club appearances to her name, all but one of them out on loan, that would be a bold call.
Any notable absences?
In Wales’ final Nations League games in early June, 18-year-old Manchester City defender Mayzee Davies suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, becoming their second player ruled out by that issue in the space of two months, following on from experienced backup goalkeeper Laura O’Sullivan.
Midfielder Sophie Ingle has been a notable name absent from the team sheet since also suffering an ACL injury last September during a pre-season match with Chelsea. Wales without Ingle was once an inconceivable premise and, while Wilkinson has done well to bring in young players to replace her, as well as moving Ladd to her preferred position as a No 6, the 33-year-old’s quality on the ball is second to none — something this team have missed at times.
Ingle has returned in time to make the squad for these Euros, but whether she is match-fit is another question.
There is also a slight concern about Fishlock — the Seattle Reign midfielder has had intermittent spells out all through the first half of the 2025 NWSL season due to an ongoing, unspecified leg injury.
What is their strongest starting XI?
How have they played over the past 12 months?
In Wilkinson’s first 10 matches in charge, Wales recorded six wins, three draws and only one defeat. More recent performances do not make for such positive reading (four defeats and two draws in six Nations League matches, against Italy, Denmark and Sweden, both draws impressively coming against the latter).
Yet the results only tell half the story.
Under previous manager Gemma Grainger, Wales were the Nations League A weaklings, losing successive matches by a scoreline of 5-1 to Germany and Denmark in 2023, and looking increasingly reliant on the individual brilliance of Fishlock. This time around, the first three of those defeats were all by a one-goal margin until the final match against Italy, where they went in at half-time already four down and were ultimately beaten 4-1.
The match was described by Wilkinson as a “slap in the face”, but in a good way.
What are they expected to achieve at these Euros?
Very few, perhaps nobody, expects Wales to make it out of this group. But there is a growing anticipation that they might well influence who does make it through to the quarter-finals. Under Wilkinson, Wales look a greater sum of their parts. Despite being relegated from Nations League A with just two points, they have shown an ability to compete, or at least frustrate.
Did you know?
The Welsh women’s national team almost ceased to exist 20 years ago.
Drawn into a Euro 2005 qualifying group with Belarus, Israel, Estonia and Kazakhstan, the Football Association of Wales deemed travel to such far-flung locations too expensive and pulled the team from the campaign, despite appointing men’s senior team manager Mark Hughes on a salary worth up to £2million ($2.7m at the current rate), a record at the time.
Between March 2004 and March 2006, Wales’ women played just one friendly — against American university Kennesaw State’s women’s team, who were on a multi-match European tour. Wales won, 1-0.
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
